Deeds of tenancy leases and documents relating to the property and lands of the Bellair Estate.

Bundle of 4 schedules of tenancies under the Irish Land Commission Estate Commissioners for the estate of Lord Digby, King's County. Schedule includes the columns of denomination, tenants' name, acreage, rent, date of order, arrears, amount paid, gale day and date of creation of tenancy. The schedules contain tenancies within Ballinvally; Killeigh; Ballinagar; Derrygolan.

Linen-backed paper map of Tullamore town and leaseholders created by the Charleville Estate Office in 1869. Map is based on an earlier map from 1790s (now lost).

c.25 leases of lands in the manor of Parsonstown, Co. Wexford, which reverted to the Parsonses of Parsonstown, King’s County, between 1708 and 1711, [and seems to have been settled by them on a younger son, Piggott Parsons, brother of Sir Laurence Parsons, 3rd Bt, on the failure of whose issue it seems to have reverted to the King’s County Parsonses, only to be used again as an appanage in the mid-19th century]. Some of the lands mentioned are Cullentrough, barony of Gorey; Ballyduff, Mangan,
Killenagh, Howell’s Land and Glascarrig, barony of Ballaghkeen; and parts of the manor of St John’s (Tomnegranoge, Knockmarshal, etc), barony of Bantry. [The documents are in date order and are ready for numbering, or rather re-numbering, as each has an obsolete number written on it.]

Original incoming and copy outgoing letters relating to Ernest H Browne's management of the Bellair Estate. Matters referred to include: schedule of the transfer of head rent of lands in Bellair from the original lessee, Thomas Lowe, to his descendants; arrangements between W B Homan Mulock and Patrick Keena for a 16 year purchase of the lands; schedule of deeds and documents received by W B Homan Mulock from A & L Goodbody, solicitors.

Includes letter from A & L Goodbody to W B Homan Mulock, following the destruction of Dublin's Custom House, "Owing to all their records having been destroyed, the Inland Revenue Officials have asked us to lodge with them for noting the copies of the wills of your Father and Grand-uncle and we should be glad if you would let us have these copies at your early convenience" (14 June 1921).

Bundle of forms from inland revenue issued to A&L Goodbody following the death of Lord Edward Henry Trafalgar Digby in 1920. Following his death, the trustees of his will were bequeathed the proceeds of sale of lands in Ireland agreed to be sold through the Irish Land Commission. Includes schedule of particulars of buildings and lands of Lord Digby's King's County estate which contain detailed lists of occupiers, acreage and tenure of interest.

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence concerning aspects of estate management undertaken by A & L Goodbody, solicitors on behalf of Bellair House Estate. Includes legitimacy of land ownership; rental arrears; payment receipts; disputes over rent; court orders and estate duties paid for Henry P Mulock.

Includes letter from Goodbody & Tisdall Solicitors to William Bury Homan Mulock: "In further reply to yours of 21st in June 1900 we sent you a Court Order for £11-1-6; being the 2 years' rent which these defendants lodged in Court, and we subsequently, by bringing another ejectment in October 1900 recovered another year's rent for you up to 1st May 1900, which we sent you on 31st October 1900; but we cannot trace any further sum of 10/- sent by us in the following November. Could you have received this from any of the tenants, or through Mr Browne?" (23 October 1901)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include installation of a telephone at the Forester's Lodge, Digby Estate; proposed sale of Garda Barracks; insurance renewals; fisheries rates; accounts for purchase of timber; issuance of gun and wireless licences; arrangements for Lord Digby to meet the Irish Land Commission to discuss Geashill queries.

Includes letter to Kennedy from Digby: "Thank you for your letter of March 29th dealing with the Archdeacon and the appointment of his successor. I quite realise the difficulty with regard to anybody having to take on the Geashill Rectory, when the upkeep is bound to be great. With regards to building a bungalow rectory in the Castle grounds at Geashill, the idea does not appeal to me much, especially as now I have decided to plant all land I have got left, and which probably go onto my Schedule B Assessment, which is what I would like to happen. I should have thought that part of the rectory grounds could have been sliced off as a site for the new rectory. Unless, of course, the Garda Barracks house is to be given up by the Garda as was considered as a remote possibility last year" (1 April 1960).

Letter from Department of Posts and Telegraphs: "with reference to your letter of the 30th May to the Postmaster, Tullamore we are now arranging to provide the telephone and the usual agreement will be forwarded for signature in the next few days. The rental will be £14 16s 0d per annum which is calculated on the actual radial measurement of 3 mile 3 furlongs between the Forester's house and Killeigh Exchange. The minimum term of agreement will be for five years. The telephone will be connected to Tullamore exchange for engineering reasons" (3 July 1961).

Copy of letter to Canon A K Palmer: "I have received a letter from The Hon. Captain Edward Digby in which he says that Lord Digby and he wish to make a contribution towards the new school at Geashill and he has requested that I forward you cheque for £300" (14 August 1962).

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include forestry; stamp duty; tenancy arrears; damages occurred to iron gates on Lord Digby's property during the thinning of surrounding forests; sporting rights for Lord Digby's property in Glenamoy, Mayo; list of tree seads for planting on Digby estate; repairs to Lord Digby's Ford Thames truck; proposal from Bord na Mona to to purchase Digby's land in Mayo; application on behalf of Lord Digby for a salmon licence.

Includes copy letter from A T Lucas, Director of National Museum of Ireland to Digby, "You will, I feel sure, be interested to learn that the Geashill cauldron has just been placed on exhibition after a cleaning process which, I hope, has brought it to something like the pristine brilliances which you described to me. It has also been labelled in accordance with the wording you suggested. I take this opportunity of placing on record our very sincere thanks for the extraordinary lengths to which you have gone to help the Museum through the very strange vicissitudes which beset this cauldron over so many years and our deep gratitude for the final generous gesture which secured it for the nation". (5 March 1955)

Includes letter from Digby to Kennedy, "I would be inclined to resist the selling of the [Village] Green at Geashill and say that for sentimental reasons, I wish to retain it. If you thought it advisable to day, which is true, that I am proud of the fact that I am the 11th Baron Digby of Geashill and that for the dame reason I have tried to retain the castle ruins, both old and new". (14 April 1955)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence concerning aspects of estate management undertaken by A. & L. Goodbody, solicitors on behalf of Lord Digby, such as correspondence with the Irish Land Commission involving the valuation; inspection and sale of the estate; legitimacy of land ownership; rental arrears; payment receipts; the transfer of Geashill National School; employee salaries; and estate repairs.

Includes letter from Goodbody to Digby: ‘…The Michael Dunne the Inspector means lives with his sister on a 15 acre farm P.L.V. £6 and had 4 cattle. Perhaps you can identify him. The reason who these allottees are asked to raise representation is because the personal representative has to agree to consolidate the plots they are getting with the land they already have. We can ask the Commissioners to waive the consolidation, but cannot anticipate whether they will or not. This may delay matters…’ (1 December 1927)

Handwritten letter from James Chissell to Lord Digby: ‘Received from Messrs A. & L. Goodbody the sum of two hundred pounds, that being the amount of compensation given to me by Lord Digby in consideration of the land taken from me by the Estates Commissioners, for purpose of relieving congestion on the Geashill Estate.’ (23 August 1927)

Letter from Goodbody to Digby: ‘…Then in regard to Reggie’s letter, which I return to you. He knows his own mind very well and as he made you the offer I should advise you to abide by it. I wrote him recently about the National Roman Catholic School at Geashill. It was originally built by your family and vested in the Educational Commissioners at the nominal rent of 1/- and now our mutual acquaintance the Reverend Father Phelan has asked me to vest it free of charge in the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church.’ (15 July 1927)